Engine-starter.



V. BEND'IX.

ENGINE STARTER.

APIPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1917.

Patented Dec. 24,1918.

VINCENT BENDIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24', 1918.

Application filed June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT BENDIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of engine starters exemplified in patents heretofore issued to me, for instance Patent No. 1,125,935, dated January 26, 1915, and No. 1,172,864, dated February 22, 1916, which starter is characterized by a prime mover, such as an electric motor, and a transmission or drive operating on the screw-shaft principle for transmitting the power of the motor to be started, such as the fly-wheel thereof.

7 The object of my invention is to provide a simple, efficient and reliable transmission or drive of the general character described, designed for double reduction, that is for indirect driving between the armature shaft of the motor and the screw-shaft of the drive.

In the drawing the figure is a sectional elevation of a transmission or drive embodying my invention.

Referring to the selected embodiment of my invention as here illustrated the electric motor indicated at A has an armature shaft 1 to whose outer end is secured a driving wheel or pinion 2, by means of the keyed washer 3 and bolt 1. This pinion meshes with a driven wheel or gear -5 which is mounted in the manner hereinafter described.

The armature shaft passes' through the plate or bracket 6, which forms the bearing for the'driving shaft of the transmission or drive. This driving shaft is here shown as a single continuous shaft with a plain portion 7 and a screw shaft portion 8, as well as a screw threaded portion 9 onto which, in the present instance and by preference, screws the combined stop nut and driving head 10, although other fastening means may be adopted. Also such head 10 might be made integral with the shaft. The driving shaft is journaled at its outer end in the bearing 11 of the inclosing casing 12, such shaft being so mounted in both of its end bearings as to have a slight longitudinal movement.

The gear 5 is loosely mounted on the plain portion 7 of the driving shaft so as to have a slight independent rotary movement thereof and also to rotate in unison therewith in the operation of the device. This gear has an extended hub 13, separate or integral therewith, which is also loosely mounted on said plain portion of the shaft and extends substantially to the driving head 10. Between this gear and head is arranged a driving means such as a yielding driving connection, which in the instance being described, consists of a coiled spring 14 surrounding the hub 13 and anchored at its ends to the gear and head by the anchoring bolts 15 and 16 respectively. The washer or disk 3 is of such diameter as to embrace the outer face of the gear 5 and thereby hold such gear in meshing position and against longitudinal movement to the right on the driving shaft.

Upon the screw threaded portion 8 of the driving shaft is threaded the driving member, which is here in the form of a pinion 17 adapted to mesh with a member of the engine to be started, such as with the teeth 18 of the fiy-Wheel 18.

Describing the operation and starting with the parts in the position shown, when the electric motor is operated the power will be transmitted from the armature shaft through pinion 2, gear 5, hub 13, spring 14 and head 10 to the driving shaft, which will thereby be rotated. The result of this rotation is to advance the pinion 17 longitudinally of the driving shaft and to the left and into mesh with the fly-Wheel teeth. When the pinion is in full mesh and abutting the outer face of the head 10, it will partake of the rotary movements of such shaft and will rotate the fly-wheel. The spring 14: acts as-a yielding driving connection in the train between the motor and the driving shaft. When the engine starts on its own power the pinion 17 will be automatically demeshed and returned to normal position.

In the event that the pinion teeth should abut the fly-wheel teeth end to end and the pinion should thereby be momentarily stopped, the driving shaft will yield longitudinally by moving slightly to the right, in which action the shaft will slide in the gear 5 and its hub, and the head 10 will be slightly separated from the outer end of such hub, it being understood that the gear and hub are prevented from moving longitudinally in the same direction by means of the disk 3, forming a flange on the pinion 2. In this operation the longitudinal move ment of the driving shaft will be a yielding I intermediate its length, such shaft is con-' siderably relieved of any twisting strain incident to a construction in which such connections are located at the outer end thereof.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the inner portion of such shaft, a driving member mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, said shaft having a driving head forming a stop for such member intermediate the latter and wheel, and a yielding driving means connecting between the gear and head.

2. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft having its outer portion screw threaded, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the inner portion of the shaft, a driving member mounted on such screw threaded portion, said shaft having a driving head forming a stop for such member intermediate the head and wheel.

3. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the inner portion of such shaft, a drivin member mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, said shaft having a stop for such member intermediate the latter and wheel, and a yielding driving means connecting between the gear and shaft, said driving shaft having a yielding longitudinal movement.

4. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted toward one end of the shaft, a driving member mounted toward the other end of the shaft, such shaft having a longitudinal movement in a direction away. from the wheel, and a yielding. driving means connecting between the wheel and shaft and permitting of such longitudinal movement of the shaft.

5. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the inner portion of such shaft, a driving member mounted on the outer portion of the shaft, .and a yielding driving means connecting between the wheel and shaft, said driving shaft having an outward longitudinal movement, and a yielding driving means connecting between the wheel and shaftand permitting said longitudinal movement of the shaft.

6. In combination with a rotatable driving shaft having a yielding longitudinal movement, a driven wheel loosely mounted on such shaft, a driving member actuated by such shaft, driving means between the wheel and shaft, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of the wheel with the shaft.

7. .In combination with a rotatable 'driving shaft having a yielding longitudinal movement, a driven wheel loosely'mounted on such shaft, a driving member actuated by such shaft, driving means between the wheel and shaft, and a fixed member engaged by aface of the wheel to prevent Iongitudinal movement of such wheel with the shaft.

8. In combination with a rotatable drivingshaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on such shaft, a driving member mounted on the shaft, and a yielding driving means connectin between the wheel and shaft, said driving shaft having a longitudinal movement, and a yielding driving means connecting between the wheel and shafit and permitting said longitudinal movement of the shaft, and a wheel for driving the driven wheel, one of the wheels being provided with a flange engaging the other wheel to prevent longitudinal movement of the driven wheel with the shaft.

9. The combination of a rotatable driving shaft having its opposite endportions formed plain and screw threaded respectively and having its middle portion provided with acombined stop nut and driving head, a wheel loosely mounted on said plain portion, a driving member mounted on said screw threaded portion and'adapted to abut said nut in driving position, and driving means between the Wheel and nut.

10. The combination of a rotatable driving shaft having its opposite end portions formed plain and screw threaded respectively and having its middle portion provided with a combined stop nut and driving head, a wheel loosely mounted on said plain portion, a driving member mounted on said screw threaded portion and adapted to abut said nut in driving position, and a spring forming the driving connection between the wheel and nut.

11. .The combination of a rotatable driving shaft having its opposite end portions tively and its middle portion separately screw threaded, a combined stop nut and driving head secured to the shaft by such latter screw threaded portion thereof, a wheel loosely mounted on the plain portion of the shaft, a driving member mounted on the end screw threaded portion of the shaft, and a yielding driving means between the wheel and head.

13. The combination of a rotatable driving shaft having its opposite end portions formed plain and screw threaded respectively and 'its middle portion separately screw threaded, a combined stop nut andi driving head secured to the shaft by such 15 latter screw threaded portion thereof a wheel loosely mounted on the plain portion of the shaft, a driving member mounted on the end screw threaded portion of the shaft and a coiled driving spring anchored at its 20 opposite ends to the wheel and head respectively.

VINCENT BEN-DIX. 

